Hair waving apparatus



April 11, 1939. 1.. MARKEL ET AL HAIR WAVING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 17, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F IE Il FIE Q INVENTORS ZFON MAEZEL FEFDEE/CH L. EEYNDU5 (Ewe ATTORNEY.

April 11, 1939. L. MARKEL ET AL HAIR WAVING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 17, 1938 INVENTOR5 LEON MAE/(EL FEFDFE/CK L .,ZEYNOL0.5 BY

@ MAZ ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES HAIR WAVING APPARATUS Leon Markel, San Francisco, and Frederick L. Reynolds, Mill Valley, Calit, assignors, by mesne assignments, to United States Appliance Corporation, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application January 17, 1938, Serial No. 185,417

6 Claims. (Cl. 132-363) This invention relates generally to apparatus and methods suitable for use in commercial beauty parlors, for the permanent waving of human hair. More particularly it relates toap- 6 paratus and methods making use of a chemical exothermic .reaction, for supplying heat requisite to lending permanency to thewave.

Inpermanent hair waving operations it is common practice to make use of chemical pads,

' 10 which carry chemicals capable of exothermic reaction when moistened. Generally such chemical pads are applied about a curler upon which a strand of hair has been wrapped. However, in some instances, particularly with equipment of the type disclosed in Schleimer application, Serial tridge.

'The conventional types of pads referred to.

above make use of ametal foil envelope, containing a dry chemical mix such as divided aluminum, a copper salt, a depolarizer such as sodium 26 chlorate, and possible additional chemicals to better control the reaction. Intermixed with these chemicals there is a suitable absorptive diluent, such as diatomaceous earth or talc.. Immediately before such a pad is used a sheet of 30 absorbent material, such as flannel, felt, or absorbent paper, saturated with water, is applied against one perforated side of the envelope. The water penetrates through the perforations to wet the chemical mix and the diluent, thus initiating an exothermic reaction. When such a chemical pad is rolled upon itself to form a cartridge, to be disposed-within a jacket to one side of the strand of hair, transfer of heat to the wound strand of hair is largely by virtue of, steam emanating from the cartridge, rather than by direct conducted heat. Vapor emanating from such'a pad during. an exothermic reaction represents water being evaporated by the heat of the reac-' tion, the water being the same moisture which moistens thechemical and thus activates the re action. .Consequently as the water being evaporat'ed approaches depletion, there is a reduction in the exothermic reactivity, and the end of the reactioncoincides with substantial dryness of the 60 pad. Since the reactivity of the chemical'mix varies considerably with conventional chemical pads, and since there is a practical limit to the amount of water which can be made available for dissolving the chemical, the process as a whole 66 is rendered unreliable. I

The present invention has for its object the production of a chemical heater cartridge, capable of efiiciently generating water vapor, and constructed in such a manner as to enable reliable results at all times.

A further object of the invention is to generall improve upon the type of equipment disclosed and claimed in Schleimer application, Serial Number 76,441, in which a cartridge form of chemical heater is utilized to generate water vapor or steam, for application to a strand of wound hair.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, illustrating a chemical pad of'the type which we prefer to utilize in the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the pad illustrated in Fig. 1, but showing the pad being folded after it has been moistened with a chemical solution.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the pad after the fold- .ing operation indicated in Fig. 2, and with one .flannel or like absorbent material, moistened with water.

Fig. '7 is an exploded view, in side elevation,

showing the cooperative relationship between a protector and curler, and parts incorporating the heater cartridge can be removably disposed. Thus referring to Figs. 7 and 8, the jacket is designated generally at l0, and is used in conjunction with a holder I I. While different types of material can be utilized, for simplicity and convenience it is desirable to form the jacket entirely of resilient material, such as soft vulcanized rubber. Assuming'fiexible rubber construction, the jacket includes th'e flexible side walls I 2, having their upper edges joined together by the curved wall portion 13, and having their lower longitudinal edge portions l4 extending in parallel relationship.

The holder for such a jacket can consist of sheet metal portions l5, which extend over the side faces of the jacket, and which are attached to the jacket at points near the longitudinal edges 14. Attaching means in this instance consists of rubber studs 11, formed integral with the jacket, and which arefitted into openings 18 formed in the sheet metal portion IS. The studs I! have enlarged heads, so that a relatively secure attachment is provided to the holder, but which .however permits removal of the jacket for replacements. Sheet metal portions IB are attached together by the hinged connection l9, and having upwardly extending arms 2|. Arms 21 serve as mountings for the finger engaging members 22, which can be formed of heat insulating material, such as a molded phenolic condensate product. By forcing together the finger hold members or handles 22, it will be evident that the sheet metal portions 16 of the holder, and the longitudinal edges Id of the jacket, are spread apart; A spring 23, associated with the hinged connection I9, serves to normally urge the sheet metal portion 16 of the holders and the longitudinlf'dges I4 of the jacket, toward each other.

The jacket described above is utilized in conjunction with a protector 26, and a curler 27. The protector illustrated is of the croquignole type, and consists of elongated clamping members 28 and 29, which can be clamped upon opposite sides of a flattened strand of hair. A protector of the kind illustrated has been disclosed and claimed in Davis Patent No. 1,992,357. The curler 21 is shown provided with projecting end studs 3| and 32, adapted to be engaged in slotted uprights 33, forming apart of the protector. Stud 3| can be squared, and can be associated with the body of the curler through suitable clutch mechanism, whereby when the curler is mounted upon the protector, it can be turned in one 5 direction only to tighten the hair strand, and to maintain the strand tightened during a heating operation.

The jacket I0 is so dimensioned that it can be clipped over the curler 21, when the curler is mounted upon the protector, as illustrated in Fig. 8. It will be noted that the curler occupies only a part of the interior of the jacket, leaving a compartment 34 extending above the curler. This compartment is for the purpose of accommodating a chemical heater cartridge.

The preferred construction for the cartridge 36 is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive. In general it makes use of a chemical pad of the kind illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, and which of itself is disclosed and claimed in copending application Serial No. 176,228, filed November 24, 1937. Briefly, this pad consists of an inner assembly 31, together with an outer covering 38, the assembly 31 consists of a sheet 39 of aluminum foil, between two sheets 4| which preferably are of absorbent asbestos paper. This assembly can be retained together by two rows of stitching 42, extending along the side margins. After forming the assembly it is passed through a suitable perforating appliance, whereby perforations 43 are formed over the entire area of the assemmy, and which extend through the asbestos paper and the intervening sheet of aluminum foil, somewhat as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The covering 38 in its preferred form is of substantially impervious material and consists of a sheet of aluminum or tin foil', provided with an inner liner 46 of inactive material such as waxed or parchment paper. The inner assembly 31 is shown secured to the covering 38 by means of attaching elements 41.

The pad described above is utilized in conjunction with a chemical solution, to effect an exothermic reaction between the solution and the aluminum foil 39. The solution preferably contains a copper compound, together with other chemicals whereby the reaction primarily is one in which aluminum displaces and precipitates the metallic copper. Thus one solution which can be used with good results, is as follows:

Grams Hydrated copper sulphate 3 Sodium chlorate l5 Hydrated aluminum sulphate Ammonium chloride Sufficient water to make 30 cc. of solution.

In the above solution the sodium chlorate is a depolarizer. The aluminum sulphate is an acid salt which activates the reaction in that it speeds up commencement of the steaming period. The ammonium chloride is an acid salt which depresses the pH value of the cold solution to afford a pH value of about 2.5, and initially activates the reaction. As the exothermic reaction proceeds and the solution is heated to an elevated temperature decomposition of the ammonium chloride causes a gradual increase in the pH value of the solution, so that at the end of the heating period the pH value of the solution is about 6 to 7 or substantially neutral. Such control of the solution causes a sustained and controlled heating period.

When the solution described above is applied to the inner assembly 31, it immediately penetrates through the perforations 43 and spreads in such a manner as to completely saturate both of the asbestos sheets. in the exothermic reaction which follows the solution may be heated to a temperature substantially above 212 F., as for example a temperature of from 215 to 220 F. However, due to the salts within the solution, and to the concentration of these salts.

the solution has. a boiling point substantially above 212 F., and will not be vaporized to any material degree, during a complete reaction period. Thus with such a pad there is no visible evolution of considerable amounts of steam as the reaction proceeds, as in the case with chemical pads of" cciventional construction, as previously described, and some moisture remains at the end of thereaction.

To use the pad described above with the apparatus of Figs. 7 and 8, after the inner assembly 31 has been saturated with the chemical solution, it is desirable to fold the pad in the manner shown in Fig. 2. After making this fold the end margin 38a of the covering 38 can be folded over as shown in Fig. 3, and also the edge margins 38b folded over in the manner shown in Fig. 4. This pad is now rolled spirally upon itself in the manner shown in Fig. 6, after first applying upon the inner face a sheet 51 of absorbent material like felt, flannel, or paper which has been saturated with water. Thus this sheet of absorbent material is interposed between the convolutions of the pad, in the final cartridge. The cartridge is now clipped within the packet in the manner illustrated in Fig. 8, and the jacket in turn applied about the curler upon which the strand of hair has been wound. As the exothermic reaction proceeds, heat is eiflciently transferred to the water contained in the absorbent sheet 5|, to elevate the temperature of the same to a temperature of about 212 F., at which steam is evolved. The "jacket causes the steam to envelop the strand of wound hair, thus heating the hair to an elevated. temperature to lend permanency to the wave.

With the cartridge described above it will be evident that all of the water contained in the sheet 5| is available for conversion into steam. Furthermore the conversion of this water into steam in no way'aifects continued exothermic reaction, because the reaction is dependent upon the chemical solution. Thus one can secure predetermined results with a high degree'of regularity, and with a suflicient transfer of heat by way of vapor to insure a proper permanent wave under varying conditions. At the end of the exothermic reaction some moisture usually remains within the asbestos paper 4|, but moisture may or may not remain within the sheet 5|. We claim:

1. Means for generating water vapor for hair waving operations comprising a sheet of aluminum, a sheet of absorbent material contacting one side of the sheet of aluminum and saturated with a solution capable of exothermic reaction with the aluminum, a piece of absorbent material saturated with water to be vaporized, and .disposed in heat transfer relationship with the assembly of the aluminum sheet and sheet of absorbent material, and a sheet of substantially impervious material interposed between said assembly and the piece of water saturated absorbent material.

2. Means for generating water vapor for hair waving operations comprising a sheet of aluminum, a sheet of absorbent material contacting one side of the sheet of aluminum and saturated with a solution capable of exothermic reaction with the aluminum, a sheet of absorbent material saturated with water to be vaporized anddisposed adjacent one side of the assembly of num, a sheet of absorbent material contacting one side of the sheet of aluminum and saturated with a solution capable of exothermic reaction with the aluminum, -a sheet of absorbent material saturated with water to be vaporized and disposed adjacent one side of the assembly of the aluminum sheet and the chemical saturated sheet, and a sheet ofsubstantially impervious material interposed between said assembly and said waterv saturated sheet, all said sheets being wound spiral fashion to form a cartridge.

- 4. Apparatus for use in permanent hair waving in conjunction with a curler upon which a strand of hair is wound, comprising a jacket adapted to embrace the curler, said jacket being so formed that when applied to the curler, a compartment is provided extending along one side of the curler, said compartment being in communication with that portion of the jacket occupied by the curler, and a chemical heater cartridge removably disposed within said compartment, said cartridge comprising a sheetof aluminum foil, a sheet of absorbent material in contact with the one side of the aluminum foil, said sheet of absorbent material being saturated with a chemical solution capable of exothermic reaction with the aluminum foil, an additional sheet of absorbent material saturated with water, and a sheet of substantially impervious material .serving to isolate the absorbent material saturated with water, from the aluminum sheet and the sheet saturated with chemical solution.

5. Apparatus for use in permanent hair waving in conjunction with a curler upon which a strand of hair is wound, comprising a jacket adapted to be applied about the curler to embrace the curler, the jacket being formed to aiford a compartment which is in communication with the space occupied by the curler but otherwise substantially closed to the atmosphere,

and a chemical heater cartridge removably disposed within said compartment, said cartridge including a sheet of aluminum, at least two sheets of asbestos paper disposed upon opposite sides of the sheet of aluminum, the asbestos paper being saturated with a chemical solution capable of exothermic reaction with the aluminum foil, a sheet of absorbent material saturated with water, a sheet of substantially impervious material interposed between the sheet saturated with water and the aforementioned sheets of asbestos paper, all of said sheets being bent to form a relatively compact cartridge, said sheet bf absorbent material saturated with water furnishing substantially the entire source of water to be vaporized, to carry out a waving operation.

6. A method of permanent hair waving comprising saturating a sheet of absorbent material with chemical solution including a copper compound, causing the saturated sheet to be disposed in contact with a sheet of aluminum, separately wetting a sheet of absorbent material with water, forming a cartridge of all said sheets whereby heat caused by exothermic reaction between the solution and the foil vaporizes the water, and causing evolved vapor to' be conveyed about a strand of wound hair.

.LEON MARKEL.

FREDERICK L. REYNOLDS; 

